Iraqi Security Forces and Kurds Gain Ground against Islamic State
New Age Islam News Bureau
26
Oct 2014
Chapter titled “Da Maujoda Dor Masalay” (problems of the present age) in the Pashto book for grade-10 will be removed. - File photo
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Arab World
• Iraqi
Security Forces and Kurds Gain Ground against Islamic State
• Family
Disowns Dammam University Lecturer Who Joined ‘Islamic State’
• Lebanon
Army Fights Militants in Tripoli, 6 Soldiers Killed
• Syria
regime air strikes kill 11 children: Monitor
• IS kills
eight Iraq soldiers in clashes south of Baghdad
• Foreign
allies pledge support for Egypt's fight against Sinai militants
• US
strikes pound jihadists as Iraq Kurds prepare to join fight
• Kurdish
ministry denies report on Oct 26 Peshmerga passage to Kobane
• Qatar
renounces deporting Muslim Brothers leaders -report
• Syria
rebels battle for Aleppo supply route
Pakistan
• Chapter
Being Removed From Textbook on JI Demand
• Khyber
Agency bombarded: 20 suspected militants killed
• 80
clerics put under surveillance in Islamabad
• Hindu
citizens looking for Jinnah’s Pakistan
• Qadri to
travel abroad to revive PAT’s overseas offices
• The
unsung heroes of war against terrorism remembered
• Anti-Mohajir
comments: MQM to observe black day today
• Pakistan
remains firmly committed to protecting human rights: Bokhari
South Asia
• Bangladesh
Militants organise to form a common platform
• 29 die
in violence in Afghanistan's Farah province
• Afghan
intelligence foil terrorist attack plot in Kabul
• Bangladesh
achieved ‘enviable success in women empowerment’
• Afghan
cleric jailed for 20 years for rape
• Pakistani,
Afghan experts eye China’s greater role in Afghanistan
• It’s
fascism, says BNP about latest arrest
North America
• Residents
scrub hate messages off Canadian mosque
• U.S.
condemns Iran’s execution of Reyhaneh Jabbari
• Grateful
for US strikes, Syrian Kurds name baby ‘Obama’
• U.S. and
British forces officially end Afghan operations
Europe
• Serious
Fears Of 'Wahhabi' Threat behind Chechen Leader's 'CIA-Sponsored IS Devils'
Comments
• Lavrov:
Russia Has No Deal with US-Led Anti-ISIL Coalition on Intelligence Exchange
• ISIS
threatens to kill British deserters
• Appeal
against Salafists: Hooligans Want To “Defend Germany”
• Muslim
pupils must study two religions under government plans to tackle
India
• Financial
regulators to issue warning against IS links
Africa
• Dignity
spokesman urges the tribal elders to turn in their Islamist fighters
• Anti-terror
raid kills 6 as Tunisian voters prepare to go to the polls
• Boko
Haram - Dozens Killed As Multi-National Forces Recapture Abadam
• Morocco
says to bolster security in the face of ‘threats’
• Fresh
violence breaks out in Libya’s Benghazi
• Sudan's
Bashir backed by party to run in presidential polls
Mideast
• Turkey's
MPs criticize German recognition of Alevism
• Iran
re-arrests leading human rights lawyer Nasrin Sotoudeh
• Yemen
PM-designate offers Houthis 6 ministries
• Top
Israeli official: U.S.-Israel relations in ‘crisis’
• Three
soldiers killed in gunfire in south-eastern Turkey
• Turkey’s
leading imam involved in Istanbul grove row
• Rafsanjani
Advises Saudi King to Stop Sheikh Al-Nimr Execution
Southeast Asia
• Malay Leaders
Cowards for Doing Nothing about ‘Hate Gang’ Using Islam
• Death
threats, slander against pet-a-dog organiser is freedom of speech, says Muslim
group
• ‘Arabic
Month’ to be held in many Indonesian cities
Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau
URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/iraqi-security-forces-kurds-gain/d/99729
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Arab World
Iraqi
security forces and Kurds gain ground against Islamic State
Reuters
| Oct 26, 2014
BAGHDAD/ARBIL:
Iraqi government forces and Shia militias seized control of the strategic town
of Jurf al-Sakhar near Baghdad from Islamic State on Saturday and Kurdish
fighters made gains in the north after heavy coalition air strikes against the
Sunni militants.
Iraqi
troops and their Shia allies broke the grip of Islamic State in Jurf al-Sakhar
after months of fighting against insurgents determined to march on the capital.
"Our
forces with the support of the volunteers are in total control over Jurf
al-Sakhar now and the terrorists fled to the southwest areas of the town,"
a spokesman for security forces there said.
A
victory could allow Iraqi forces to prevent the Sunni insurgents - positioned
in several locations around Baghdad - from edging closer to the capital, sever
connections to their strongholds in western Anbar province and stop them
infiltrating the mainly Shia south.
The
security officials said the Sunni insurgents fled to the two nearby villages of
al-Farisiya and Hay al-Askari and were still attacking with sniper fire and
mortars. Government forces were preparing for a major overnight operation
against them.
In the
latest fighting, 67 members of the Iraqi security forces and Shia militias as
well as 300 Islamic State fighters were killed, the officials said.
It was
not possible to get independent verification of the casualty tolls in the town 60
km (40 miles) south of Baghdad.
Speaking
to state television in the town, Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi said Iraqis
forced out by fighting would soon return to their homes.
Islamic
State swept through northern Iraq in the summer, facing little resistance from
U.S.-trained government troops.
The al
Qaeda offshoot then declared a caliphate and threatened to reach Baghdad,
rattling the Shia-led government and intensifying sectarian bloodshed.
On
Saturday, a suicide bomber killed seven Shia militiamen in a town just north of
Baghdad, police and medical sources said.
Islamic
State controls large parts of the Sunni heartland in Iraq's western Anbar
province, as well as swathes of Syria and wants to redraw the map of the Middle
East.
Strategic
islamic state network at stake
Sunni
insurgents have been moving fighters, weapons and supplies from western Iraq
through secret desert tunnels to Jurf al-Sakhar, Iraqi officials have said. Now
it appears government forces may be able to disrupt that network.
While
Iraq's army and Shia militias have resisted Islamic State efforts to move
closer to Baghdad, Kurdish forces have also gained ground, recapturing
territory in the north.
The
Kurds retook the town of Zumar and several nearby villages from early on
Saturday after heavy coalition air strikes against the insurgents, security
sources said.
If the
Kurds manage to hold Zumar, that could enable them to disrupt Islamic State
supply lines to nearby towns and cities.
A
Kurdish intelligence officer in Zumar said Kurdish peshmerga forces had
advanced from five directions in the early morning and encountered fierce
resistance. A spokesman for the peshmerga also said Zumar was now in Kurdish
hands.
Zumar
was one of the first Kurdish-controlled towns to be overrun in August by
Islamic State who went on to threaten the autonomous region's capital, Arbil,
prompting air strikes by the United States - a campaign since joined by Britain
and France.
If the
Kurds are able to keep Zumar, it would also make it easier for them to advance
on Sinjar, where Islamic State are besieging members of Iraq's Yazidi minority
on a mountain.
Helped
by the air strikes, Kurds have regained ground but progress has been hampered
by a lack of heavy weaponry and by homemade bombs and booby-traps laid by the
militants.
Gains
have been easily lost in the war against Islamic State.
The
Kurds claimed victory in Zumar in September, only to withdraw from the town
again after suffering heavy losses.
One
peshmerga fighter deployed in the area on Saturday said a sniper was still at
large in a village adjacent to Zumar, and a car bomb had exploded when they
approached a vehicle, killing seven peshmerga.
In
another village, Ayn al-Helwa, the peshmerga said 17 militants had been taken
captive, all of them Sunni Turkmen.
While US
air strikes have had some impact on the insurgents, it is not clear whether
they will be enough to secure a defeat in the long term in the major oil
producer and in Syria.
The
United States and its allies conducted 22 air strikes against Islamic State
forces in Iraq on Friday and Saturday, the U.S. Central Command said.
US
warplanes also destroyed an Islamic State artillery
piece
near Kobani in Syria, officials said Saturday. The town near Turkey's border
appears in less danger of falling, but the threat remains, U.S. officials said
on Thursday.
The 22
strikes in Iraq included attacks on frequently targeted areas near the vital
Mosul dam, the city of Fallujah and the northern city of Baiji, home of an oil
refinery.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/middle-east/Iraqi-security-forces-and-Kurds-gain-ground-against-Islamic-State/articleshow/44936173.cms
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Family
disowns Dammam University lecturer who joined ‘Islamic State’
Oct 26,
2014
DAMMAM —
The parents of a Dammam University lecturer who said she had left her job to
join the self-proclaimed Islamic State has publicly disowned their daughter.
Dr. Eman
Mustapha, a Syrian national, was a faculty member at the university before she
resigned for “personal reasons”, only to announce later on social media that
she had joined IS.
Her
father, Dr. Mustapha Al-Bugha, is a well-known scholar in Syria, and has always
adopted a centrist view and opinions.
Eman
Mustapha had published a book, “I am IS even before IS existed”, and her
actions have generated a strong reaction on social media, especially among
academics who demanded that faculty members should be scrutinized closely
before they are accepted for employment at universities due to their influence
on students.
r.
Buthaynah Al-Yousef, a faculty member at a Saudi university, said Mustapha’s
behavior should serve as a wake-up call and called for greater care of students
who could be potentially receiving their education at the hands of IS
loyalists.
“This
has nothing to do with Eman’s Syrian nationality, because there are Saudis who
have adopted such ideologies and are promoting unbelievable ideologies among
students,” she said.
She
pointed out that Mustapha’s book clearly shows that she is an extremist,
despite the fact that she comes from a centrist family.
“We are
not looking for extremists or terrorists, as exaggeration in Islam is
prohibited,” she said.
Dr.
Younes Aseeri, a faculty member at a Saudi university, refused to comment on
the Mustapha’s behavior, but said: “What I have read is regrettable.”
A
faculty member at Dammam University said Mustapha was a close friend of hers
but she was constantly talking about jihad and women’s potential participation
alongside jihadists.
She
said: “I tried many times to discuss the matter with her, but she always
refused.
“She did
not impose her ideologies on others, so I used to leave her alone.”
http://www.saudigazette.com.sa/index.cfm?method=home.regcon&contentid=20141026222332
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Lebanon
army fights militants in Tripoli, 6 soldiers killed
World
Bulletin/News Desk
Oct 26,
2014
Six
Lebanese soldiers were killed as the army clashed with gunmen in northern
Lebanon for a second day on Saturday, using helicopters to fire rockets in the
first such air attack since the war in neighbouring Syria began.
Soldiers
exchanged heavy fire with the gunmen - whose exact affiliation was unclear - in
the city of Tripoli in the morning and moved in on their positions in the
afternoon, security sources said.
Three
soldiers were wounded in a nearby incident when gunmen opened fire on an army
vehicle near the northern village of Bahneen, the sources said. One soldier
later died from his wounds.
An
officer was killed in another attack near the town of al-Minya, also in the
north, security sources said. The military used two helicopters to fire two
rockets at militants in the area after the attack, security sources said.
A third
soldier died from wounds sustained in fighting on Friday. At least four
militants and two civilians were also killed, and about 14 soldiers wounded,
the sources said.
Gunmen
also took one soldier captive in Tripoli as he was riding in a taxi, security
sources said.
Tripoli
has seen some of the worst spillover from the 3-1/2-year-old war in
neighbouring Syria, whose border is only about 30 km (20 miles) north up the
coast from the ancient port city. Gun battles and bombings linked to the
conflict have regularly broken out.
In
statements published by the National News Agency, the army leadership said:
"The pursuit of terrorist gunmen in Tripoli is continuing and will not be
pulled back until after the terrorists are eliminated."
Syrian
conflict to cap Lebanon's growth
Meanwhile,
Lebanon's economy will grow by no more than 2 or 2.5 percent next year if it
does not resolve its political problems as it struggles to cope with the
fallout from the war in neighouring Syria, the economy minister said.
Lebanon's
economy has been hit hard by Syria's civil war, which has sparked gun battles,
bombings and kidnappings in the small Mediterranean country and hurt key
sectors like tourism. It has also forced more than 1 million Syrians to take
refuge inside its borders.
Economy
and Trade Minister Alain Hakim said the country needed $2.5 billion to start
addressing the economic impact of the Syrian refugees, whose presence has
strained infrastructure and led to increased competition for jobs.
Political
tensions have also risen. Lebanon has been without a president since May
because lawmakers have been unable to agree on a new one. Parliament is also expected
to postpone next month's elections to 2017 because of instability linked to the
Syrian crisis.
"Today,
in the absence of a president and the absence of parliamentary elections and
the absence of political continuity, we cannot predict more than 2 or 2.5
percent (economic growth) in 2015 if we continue like this," Hakim told
the Reuters Middle East Investment Summit.
"And
this is if the Lebanese economy is resilient in confronting the political and
security earthquakes that are happening around us."
The
government had not previously estimated growth next year. Government officials
and the International Monetary Fund have forecast 2 percent growth this year,
after last year's 1.5 percent expansion.
With a
population of only about 4 million, Lebanon now hosts more refugees per capita
than any other country in the world. Many Lebanese blame refugees for increases
in crime and for taking jobs and overburdening schools, hospitals and other
public services.
Lebanon's
finance minister said this week that the country had had little response after
presenting the United Nations with a paper at the end of 2013 estimating that
refugees would cost the economy $7.6 billion.
Hakim
said crime and competition for jobs had risen as a result of the refugee
presence.
"If
we continue in this fashion, I think the Lebanese economy will also start to
collapse, little by little. Even if it is resilient, with time, especially in
terms of commerce, the crisis will grow much worse than it is today," he
said.
"Today
the Lebanese state needs $2.5 billion to start finding solutions to the Syrian
presence in Lebanon ... to treat the effects of the Syrian refugees on
Lebanon," he said.
Hakim,
however, said remittances from Lebanese migrants into the country had increased
over 2013, helping the economy withstand some of the impact. Inflation was at
about 2.5 percent, he added.
He said
Lebanon would also try to forge new markets for Lebanese exports and businesses
in countries where there were large presences of Lebanese migrants, such as in
Latin America, Africa and parts of Europe.
http://www.worldbulletin.net/headlines/147040/lebanon-army-fights-militants-in-tripoli-6-soldiers-killed
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Syria
regime air strikes kill 11 children: Monitor
Oct 26,
2014
Syrian
government air strikes on two rebel-held areas of the central province of Homs
killed at least 25 civilians, 11 of them children, a monitoring group said on
Sunday.
Sixteen
members of a single family were among 18 people killed in raids late Saturday
on the town of Talbisseh, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.
They
included 10 children and three women, said the Britain-based monitoring group
which has a wide network of sources inside Syria.
In the
Waer district on the outskirts of Homs -- the only area of Syria's third city
in rebel hands -- the evening air strikes killed seven people, including a
child, the Observatory added.
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/2/8/113969/World/Region/Syria-regime-air-strikes-kill--children-Monitor.aspx
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IS kills
eight Iraq soldiers in clashes south of Baghdad
Oct 26,
2014
Eight
Iraqi soldiers were killed in fighting with jihadists south of Baghdad as the
army battled to secure the route used by hundreds of thousands of Shiite
pilgrims, officers said Saturday.
Pilgrims
taking part in Ashura commemorations, which mark the death of Imam Hussein, one
of the most revered figures in Shiite Islam, are often targeted with bombings
during the annual rituals, which take place this month.
But this
year's march to the shrine city of Karbala is set to be more dangerous than
most, with militants from the Islamic State (IS) group, which has overrun large
areas of the country, holding territory along the way.
The
attack by security forces on IS militants in the Jurf al-Sakhr area began on
Friday, an army captain said.
Eight
soldiers were killed in the fighting, the captain and an army major said.
The
officers said dozens of militants were also killed, but Iraqi officials
frequently announce high death tolls for jihadists that are not possible to
independently verify.
"Securing
Jurf al-Sakhr is securing Karbala and the south completely, as the gateway to
the south begins from Jurf al-Sakhr," Karbala governor Aqil al-Turaihi
told journalists during a visit to the area.
Securing
Jurf al-Sakhr would also better position Iraqi forces to strike at militants in
nearby Anbar province, where they have suffered a string of setbacks, prompting
warnings that the entire province could fall.
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/2/8/113921/World/Region/IS-kills-eight-Iraq-soldiers-in-clashes-south-of-B.aspx
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Foreign
allies pledge support for Egypt's fight against Sinai militants
Oct 26,
2014
A number
of members of the international community have condemned the militants attacks
in Sinai on Friday that killed 30 soldiers and injured 31 more.
On
Saturday the United States and several European and Arab states all pledged
their support to Egypt in combating militant violence.
Twenty-eight
soldiers were killed and another 30 injured when a car bomb exploded at the
Karm Alkwadis security checkpoint in Sheikh Zuweid in North Sinai on Friday.
Hours later three security personnel died when militants opened fire on a
checkpoint in nearby Al-Arish.
UN
Secretary General Ban Ki-moon extended his condolences to the families of the
victims and to the Egyptian government, and wished a speedy recovery to the
injured soldiers.
The US
pledged its continued support, as part of the strategic partnership between the
two countries, for Egyptian government efforts to counter “the threat of
terrorism” in Egypt, a US State Department communique said.
Full
report at:
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/1/64/113929/Egypt/Politics-/Foreign-allies-pledge-support-for-Egypts-fight-aga.aspx
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US
strikes pound jihadists as Iraq Kurds prepare to join fight
Oct 26,
2014
US-led
warplanes have bombarded the Islamic State group with new air strikes as
heavily armed Iraqi Kurdish fighters were on Sunday readying to reinforce the
besieged Syrian border town of Kobane. Kurdish forces, backed by US air power,
have been holding out for weeks against an IS offensive around Kobane, which
has become a high-profile symbol of efforts to stop the advance of the
jihadists. The Kurdish regional government in northern Iraq unveiled plans on
Friday for up to 200 well-trained peshmerga to join Syrian Kurdish forces
defending Kobane in the coming week. Kurdish news agency Rudaw said the first
contingent could head to the town as early today, but there was no immediate
confirmation of that timetable. Since Turkey conceded to US pressure to allow
vetted reinforcements into Kobane to prevent IS winning the prominent battle
for the town, the jihadists have made repeated attempts to cut the border
before any help can arrive.
Full
report at:
http://indianexpress.com/article/world/middle-east-africa/us-strikes-pound-jihadists-as-iraq-kurds-prepare-to-join-fight/99/#sthash.nbiNwXuE.dpuf
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Kurdish
ministry denies report on Oct 26 Peshmerga passage to Kobane
Oct 26,
2014
The
General Secretary of the Ministry of Peshmerga Affairs of the autonomous
Kurdish Regional Government (KRG) in
northern Iraq has denied a report that the Kurdish Peshmerga forces would start
their passage to Kobane on Oct 26.
"News
on when the Peshmerga will start their passage is incorrect. We reject it no
matter who the source is," Jabar Yawar told the Anadolu Agency Oct. 25.
Earlier
in the day, website Rudaw had quoted Kurdish sources as saying that a
150-member Peshmerga group will head to the besieged Syrian border town on Oct.
26 via Turkey.
Turkish
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said Oct. 24 that he has learned the number of
Iraqi Peshmerga fighters allowed to go to Kobane under jihadist fire for about
one month through Turkey has been decreased to 150 from the initially announced
200.
Full
report at:
http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/kurdish-ministry-denies-report-on-oct-26-peshmerga-passage-to-kobane.aspx?pageID=238&nID=73460&NewsCatID=510
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Qatar
renounces deporting Muslim Brothers leaders -report
World
Bulletin/News Desk
Oct 26,
2014
Qatar
has renounced deporting Muslim Brothers' 7 leaders, and allowed them to return
the Qatar, Egyptian media reported.
Some of
them have come back, after Qatar's decision about not deporting Muslim
Brothers' 7 leaders, and allowing them to return Qatar, Egypt's daily al-Mısri
al-Yawm claimed.
Jemal
Abdulsettar and Assam Telmiye are among the leaders of Muslim Brothers there,
according to the Brotherhood's sources.
Full
report at:
http://www.worldbulletin.net/headlines/147043/qatar-renounces-deporting-muslim-brothers-leaders-report
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Syria
rebels battle for Aleppo supply route
26
October 2014
Syrian
rebels fought fierce clashes with loyalist troops Saturday as they tried to
secure their supply line to second city Aleppo against advances by the army, a
monitor said.
The
clashes in the divided area of Handarat just north of Aleppo, came a day after
fighting that killed 15 soldiers and pro-regime militia as well as 12 rebels,
said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
"Rebels
from all the main factions have launched an operation to try to secure the
Handarat area," said Observatory director Rami Abdel Rahman.
"They
are trying to expel the army from hills captured by the regime in recent
days," Abdel Rahman told AFP.
Earlier
this month the Observatory reported that government troops backed by fighters
from Lebanese Shiite movement Hezbollah took Handarat, just north of Aleppo.
The
battle for control of Handarat hill is decisive for the rebels as the position
overlooks their main supply route from Turkey and because it could place rebel
areas of Aleppo under army siege.
Full
report at:
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2014/10/26/Syria-rebels-battle-for-Aleppo-supply-route-.html
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Pakistan
Chapter
Being Removed From Textbook on JI Demand
Oct 26,
2014
PESHAWAR:
The Elementary and Secondary Education Department is set to remove a whole
chapter from a school textbook highlighting the contemporary issues, their
causes and veiled hints towards the invisible elements responsible for creating
such issues that have made the lives of people miserable in the region,
according to sources.
The
chapter titled “Da Maujoda Dor Masalay” (problems of the present age) in the
Pashto book for grade-10 will be removed on the demand of Jamaat-i-Islami, they
said.
The
chapter was included in the textbook by the previous ANP-led government to
inform the students about the various issues engulfing the society for the last
many years, said the sources in the education department.
In the
third paragraph on page 65 of the chapter it is stated that due to political
instability millions of Afghans were compelled to migrate to Pakistan who
brought with them many problems from Afghanistan that still existed in our
society.
The text
on page 66 conveys that “It is crystal clear that human beings have always used
their power and inflicted brutalities on others in the process to impose their
religious, political, national and economic supremacy on others. In history
whenever any group in any area on the earth started ruling by adopting such
practices has left examples of brutalities and inhuman practices that has bowed
down the head of human beings in shame”.
Full
report at:
http://www.dawn.com/news/1140486/chapter-being-removed-from-textbook-on-ji-demand
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Khyber
Agency bombarded: 20 suspected militants killed
Oct 26,
2014
PESHAWAR:
At least 20 suspected militants were killed and several others injured early on
Sunday as jet fighters targeted alleged hideouts in Bara tehsil of Khyber
tribal region. Artillery and mortar fire supported the air strikes.
The
areas targeted were said to be the main operational terror centers of the
banned outfits.
Official
sources say that the militants’ hideouts in Sipah, Malakdin Khel, Nalan Sur Kas
areas of Bara were targeted in the fresh attacks, in which five militant
hideouts were destroyed. None of this information could be independently
verified however, given restrictions on access to the restive region.
Recently,
a clash took place in the Sipah area of Bara tehsil with Operation Khyber I
(Khyber one) underway in the region. The operation was formally launched
earlier this month. Sources had told Dawn earlier that Khyber I's main aim was
to clear the areas lying from Bara up to the border of Tirah valley, following
which a second phase of the operation would be launched.
Full
report at:
http://www.dawn.com/news/1140509/khyber-agency-bombarded-20-suspected-militants-killed
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80
clerics put under surveillance in Islamabad
Oct 26,
2014
ISLAMABAD:
Vigilance has been mounted around 80 Ulema in the capital considered a threat
to peace during Muharram.
Police
and local administration officials on Saturday said 23 clerics had already been
placed in the 4th schedule of the Anti-Terrorism Act under which they were
bound to inform the police station concerned about their activities and
movements.
The 80
ulema belonging to the Sunni and Shia sects have been asked to restrict their
movements and public appearances. Undertakings have also been taken from them.
The
police have also been directed to check entry of leaders of banned outfits in
the capital during Muharram.
The
officials said details of such leaders had been acquired and policemen at the
checkposts and patrolling teams were being briefed about them. Photos of a
majority of the Ulema have been obtained and are being given to staff at the
checkpoints to identify them if they tried to enter the city.
Full
report at:
http://www.dawn.com/news/1140470/80-clerics-put-under-surveillance-in-islamabad
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Hindu
citizens looking for Jinnah’s Pakistan
Oct 26,
2014
RAWALPINDI:
Hindu citizens are demanding Jinnah’s Pakistan on the occasion of Diwali. From
no official holiday on their religious festivals, Hindu marriage laws and
social discrimination to life threatening security concerns, the Hindu
community in Pakistan faces a myriad of problems.
“No
holiday on Diwali is a minor issues. Our problems are much bigger,” said Akash
Raj, a Hindu citizen.
He
narrated that he got married many months ago but his wife is still waiting for
her new Computerised National Identity Card.
“Why is
Hindu marriage act still pending,” he demanded.
Raj
criticised political leaders like Imran Khan and Bilawal Bhutto Zardari who are
using Hindus for their own political gains. “If they actually care about
minority rights, they should play a role in drafting legislation for us,” he
said.
Full
report at:
http://www.dawn.com/news/1140459/hindu-citizens-looking-for-jinnahs-pakistan
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Qadri to
travel abroad to revive PAT’s overseas offices
Oct 26,
2014
LAHORE:
Pakistan Awami Tehreek chief Dr Tahirul Qadri has said that he will travel
abroad to revive his party’s overseas offices which have been dysfunctional
since he resigned as member of the National Assembly in 2004.
Talking
to journalists outside his Model Town residence here on Saturday, he said PAT
would field its candidates in all by-elections whether it succeeded in forcing
the government to introduce reforms in the electoral set-up or not.
“Our
party became dysfunctional after I resigned from the assembly in 2004 in
protest against the corrupt and tyrannical system. And since we have decided to
take part in politics and in the next elections after calling off the Islamabad
sit-in, it is necessary to revive the party in Pakistan and abroad.
Full
report at:
http://www.dawn.com/news/1140439/qadri-to-travel-abroad-to-revive-pats-overseas-offices
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The
unsung heroes of war against terrorism remembered
Oct 26,
2014
PESHAWAR:
Families and officers were sitting in front of a dome-shaped marble monument at
Balahisar Fort to pay homage to 1,180 Frontier Corps personnel, who have laid
down their lives in the war on terrorism.
Solemn
and emotional scenes were seen when schoolchildren enacted a play to illustrate
sacrifices of soldiers.
The
scene resembled with reality for the people, who had lost near and dear ones in
the prolonged conflict in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas.
The
audience comprising widows, fathers and mothers of fallen soldiers broke down
completely when a girl, enacting as one of the bereaved mothers, was informed
that his son had been killed in a gun battle with militants.
Full
report at:
http://www.dawn.com/news/1140484/the-unsung-heroes-of-war-against-terrorism-remembered
-----------
Anti-Mohajir
comments:MQM to observe black day today
Oct 26,
2014
KARACHI:
Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) has announced to mark a “Black Day” today
(Sunday) over the remark “mohajir” by Pakistan People’s Party’s leader
Khursheed Shah last week.
The MQM
has announced that black flags would be hoisted on the party’s offices across
the country to register a protest. Rallies will be held at the Shahrah-e-Faisal
and Shahrah-e-Qauideen. Speaking at a press conference, senior MQM leader Abdul
Haseeb Khan said Khursheed Shah has hurt the feelings of those who migrated to
Pakistan from India at the time of Partition in 1947 by saying the word
“mohajir” more than four times. The MQM leader said that Khursheed Shah’s
remarks had drawn widespread anger from the Muslim Ummah. Hasseb lashed out at
the opposition leader in the National Assembly, saying the word Mohajir is not
an expletive but a respectful “Islamic word”. It is noteworthy that Shah had
apologised and retracted his statement after facing criticism from the MQM. He
had clarified that he himself was a mohajir as his ancestors had moved to
Sindh.
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/national/26-Oct-2014/anti-mohajir-comments-mqm-to-observe-black-day-today
-----------
Pakistan
remains firmly committed to protecting human rights: Bokhari
Oct 26,
2014
ISLAMABAD:
Senate Chairman Nayyer Hussain Bokhari has said that Pakistan remains strongly
committed to the protection of human rights and providing its citizens basic
necessities of life.
The
Senate chairman expressed these views in a meeting with Swedish Minister for Foreign
Affairs Margot Wallstrom. He said that the constitution guarantees rights to
all sections of society.
Bokhari
said that Pakistan is taking significant measures for women empowerment and
believes in their development as a crucial step for the country’s progress.
He laid
considerable emphasis on Pakistan’s efforts of making itself an inclusive
society and ensuring maximum efforts for streamlining a larger part of the
population.
He said
that Pakistan highly values its relations with Sweden and Swedish support at
regional and international forums is highly cherished.
Full
report at:
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/national/26-Oct-2014/pakistan-remains-firmly-committed-to-protecting-human-rights-bokhari
---------
South Asia
Bangladesh
Militants organise to form a common platform
Oct 26,
2014
Bangladesh
Jihadi Group comprise JMB, Huji-B and Ansarullah
Detectives
claimed to have got information that several militant outfits had joined forces
to form a new platform in the wake of strong anti-militancy vigilance from law
enforcers.
Yesterday,
the Detective Branch (DB) of police organised a conference to let media know
about the arrest of four members of banned militant group Harkat-ul Jihad Al
Islami Bangladesh (Huji-B) and the information derived from them.
DB said
Huji-B members Mawlana Mohammad Rafiq Ahmed alias Sajid, Md Umar alias Foyzul
alias Roby, Md Nadim Ahmed alias Sumon and Md Salahuddin Ahmed – all aged
between mid-20s and mid-30s – were picked up early yesterday in separate drives
in Uttara and Tikatuli in the capital and Narayanganj city.
Rafiq is
a teacher at the Foyzul Ulum Madrassa, better known as the Boktaboli Madrassa,
in Narayanganj and the Imam of the local Amtoli Mosque.
Umar is
a final year student of chemistry at the capital’s Prime University. Huji-B
took over Umar’s responsibilities when he was a sixth grader, bearing all his
educational expenses since then.
Full
report at:
http://www.dhakatribune.com/crime/2014/oct/26/militants-organise-form-common-platform#sthash.gwVWNpOh.dpuf
-----------
29 die
in violence in Afghanistan's Farah province
World
Bulletin/News Desk
Oct 26,
2014
Fighting
between local police and Taliban militants broke out in Afghanistan’s Farah
province.
Groups
of armed rebels had stormed Afghan Local Police checkpoints in the Bala Buluk
district in Farah, an Afghan official said on Saturday evening. The attack was
successfully beaten back, according to Brigadier General Muhamamd Yaqoob, the
Provincial Police Chief.
Yaqoob
confirmed the death of 19 attackers and seven members of the local police.
Local hospital sources have reported that four local police members and three
civilians have been seriously wounded in the clashes.The dead bodies of two
local police members, who were abducted by the militants a day earlier, have
also been found in the Pushtrod district.
Farah is
a strategically important province bordering the Helmand province to the east
and Iran to the west. The Afghan Local Police is a local militia established
with the backing of US General David Petraeus but with strong opposition from
former Afghan President Hamid Karzai.
Full
report at:
http://www.worldbulletin.net/todays-news/147061/29-die-in-violence-in-afghanistans-farah-province
---------
Afghan
cleric jailed for 20 years for rape
Oct 26,
2014
KABUL:
An Afghan court has sentenced a cleric to 20 years in prison after finding the
religious teacher guilty of raping a 10-year-old girl.
The
sentence, passed by a Kabul judge on Saturday, has been welcomed by women's
support groups as a rare victory in their fight for justice for female victims
of sex crimes.
Rape is
often treated as adultery in Afghanistan, and victims can face prison
themselves.
Hassina
Sarwari, who runs a shelter for women in northern Kunduz province, where the
rape took place, welcomed the court's decision saying on Sunday that if the
trial had not been transferred to Kabul the result would probably have been
very different.
The rape
took place in May in the girl's home village near the provincial capital, also
called Kunduz.
http://www.dawn.com/news/1140511/afghan-cleric-jailed-for-20-years-for-rape
-----------
Pakistani,
Afghan experts eye China’s greater role in Afghanistan
Oct 26,
2014
ISLAMABAD:
Pakistani and Afghan foreign affairs experts agree in their view that China can
play a proactive role in Afghanistan because of its policy of non-interference
and quest for enhanced economic engagement.
They say
China’s role will also be very important in the elusive peace after the
withdrawal of most of the foreign troops this year as it enjoys good relations
with key stakeholders like Pakistan and Iran. The political watchers have also
attached high hopes to the upcoming visit of Afghan President Ashraf Ghani
Ahmadzai to China this month. Ghani is scheduled to hold talks with Chinese
leaders and will also attend the ministerial conference of the Istanbul
Process, Heart of Asia Ministerial Conference on October 31.
Full
report at:
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/national/26-Oct-2014/pakistani-afghan-experts-eye-china-s-greater-role-in-afghanistan
-----------
Afghan
intelligence foil terrorist attack plot in Kabul
Oct 26,
2014
A senior
Taliban leader was arrested following an operation by Afghan intelligence
operatives in Kabul city.
The
National Directorate of Security (NDS) said the Taliban shadow governor for
Nad-e-Ali district was arrested along with three others in Kabul city.
NDS
following a statement said the individuals had recently came to capital Kabul
to plan and coordinate attacks in city after they were trained on the other
side of Durand Line.
The
statement further added six other terrorists were arrested during a separate
operation in norhtern Faryab province. NDS operatives also seized two suicide
bombing vests along with 7 improvised explosive devices (IEDs) during the
operation.
NDS
operatives also arrested four suspected militants who were involved in major
terrorist attacks in Nangarhar and Nimroz provinces, NDS said, adding that a
vehicle packed with explosives was also confiscated with various other types of
explosives from the detained militants.
The
anti-government armed militant groups have not commented regarding the reports
so far.
http://www.khaama.com/afghan-intelligence-foil-terrorist-attack-plot-in-kabul-8878
-----------
Bangladesh
achieved ‘enviable success in women empowerment’
Oct 26,
2014
Bangladesh
should develop its own model of women’s empowerment
Speakers
at a discussion yesterday observed that Bangladesh has achieved an envious
success in women empowerment and gender equality and already established itself
as a role model for other countries.
Speaking
at the 88th episode of BBC Sanglap at BIAM auditorium in the capital, they also
stressed that Bangladesh should develop its own model of women’s empowerment
and address the issue of equal rights to women according to its own heritage
and culture, rather than following the foreigners.
Former
chief election commissioner Justice Abdur Rouf, Awami League MP Tarana Halim,
entrepreneur and writer Rubana Haque and BNP international affairs secretary
Asaduzzaman Ripon attended the programme as discussants.
Full
report at:
http://www.dhakatribune.com/bangladesh/2014/oct/26/bangladesh-achieved-%E2%80%98enviable-success-women-empowerment%E2%80%99#sthash.duX7vG1x.dpuf
-----------
It’s
fascism, says BNP about latest arrest
Oct 26,
2014
BNP
acting secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said, 'Police have created
a heinous and spiteful situation by suddenly arresting Syed Moazzem Hossain
Alal and 80 other leaders and activists as they met at Alal’s Mohammapur house'
Condemning
the arrest of Jubo Dal president Syed Moazzem Hossain Alal and other BNP
leaders and activists, BNP on Saturday said the government move was part of its
continued fascist behaviour.
In a
statement, BNP acting secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said,
“Police have created a heinous and spiteful situation by suddenly arresting
Syed Moazzem Hossain Alal and 80 other leaders and activists as they met at
Alal’s Mohammapur house.”
He said
Awami League is repressing opposition leaders and activists and common people
to protect its existence as the ruling party has realised that it has lost
popularity due to its misrule.
Accusing
the government of not permitting them to hold their peaceful rallies, Fakhrul
said Awami League is trying to rule the country by intimidating people.
“But
they can’t realise that their arrogance and limitless misdeeds will invite only
dire consequences for them.”
Full
report at:
http://www.dhakatribune.com/politics/2014/oct/26/it%E2%80%99s-fascism-says-bnp-about-latest-arrest#sthash.X9Nx1Pg7.dpuf
-----------
North America
Residents
scrub hate messages off Canadian mosque
Oct 26,
2014
Residents
of the small Canadian city of Cold Lake gathered on Friday to scrub away hate
messages that had been scrawled in paint on the walls of a mosque and replace
them with posters reading "Love your neighbour" and "You are
home."
The
battle of words playing out on the facade of the Cold Lake Mosque follows two
separate deadly attacks on Canadian soldiers this week by converts, including
one on Wednesday that spilled into Canada's parliament building.
Cold
Lake is home to a Canadian air base that has deployed fighter jets against ISIL
militants in Iraq.
The
mosque was hit overnight with red spraypainted graffiti reading "Go
home" and its windows were smashed. By Friday afternoon, the community
volunteers had removed the spray paint, fixed the windows and taped their
posters up.
"These
guys are peaceful, and I think it's important for the community to show them
that we know the difference between extremists and a religion," Cold Lake
resident Matt Downy said, bringing a vase of flowers to the mosque.
Imam
Syed Soharwardy, founder of Muslims Against Violence in Calgary, told reporters
earlier that the vandalism revealed "how fragile the situation can be if
it is not properly managed."
Reuters
http://www.worldbulletin.net/muslim-world/147011/residents-scrub-hate-messages-off-canadian-mosque
-----------
U.S.
condemns Iran’s execution of Reyhaneh Jabbari
26
October 2014
The
United States condemned Iran’s execution of a woman convicted of murdering a
man who attempted to rape her, a U.S. State Department statement said.
“We
condemn this morning’s execution in Iran of Reyhaneh Jabbari, an Iranian woman
convicted of killing a man she said she stabbed in self-defense during a sexual
assault,” State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said.
“There
were serious concerns with the fairness of the trial and the circumstances
surrounding this case,” the statement said.
Among
those concerns were "reports of confessions made under severe
duress."
Jabbari,
26, who was on death row for five years, was executed at dawn, the Tehran
prosecutor’s office said in a statement carried by IRNA’s Farsi website.
The
United Nations and international human rights groups have said her confession
was obtained under intense pressure and threats from Iranian prosecutors, and
that she should have had a retrial.
Full
report at:
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2014/10/26/U-S-condemns-Iran-execution-.html
-----------
Grateful
for US strikes, Syrian Kurds name baby ‘Obama’
Oct 26,
2014
SURUC,
Turkey — Sultan Muslim, a Syrian Kurd, had no doubt what to name her seventh
child when he was born, safely in Turkey, after a harrowing month-long flight
from her home in Kobane: Obama.
Desperate
to flee the flashpoint Syrian border town, the heavily pregnant mother, her
husband and six other children made it across the frontier just in time for the
boy’s arrival.
Militants
linked to the self-proclaimed Islamic State (IS), accused of widespread
atrocities, seized control of the strategic locality and US-led bombing raids
launched in the last few weeks have tried to stop their advance.
“I gave
my son this name from my heart. I will never change this name,” the shy
35-year-old said in a refugee camp in Suruc, just inside Turkey.
“He
dispatched planes, aid for us. Because of his help maybe we will get rid of
this cruelty and get back to our homes,” she said, cradling her three-day-old
son.
The
family started their exodus almost a month ago, following some 200,000 Kurds
who have already entered Turkey to escape the IS onslaught on Kobane.
Full
report at:
http://www.saudigazette.com.sa/index.cfm?method=home.regcon&contentid=20141026222339
-----------
U.S. and
British forces officially end Afghan operations
World
Bulletin/News Desk
Oct 26,
2014
The last
U.S. Marines unit and final British combat troops in Afghanistan officially
ended their operations on Sunday as they packed up to leave the country and
transferred a massive military base to the Afghan military.
The
American and British flags were lowered and folded up for the final time Sunday
at the regional headquarters of the international military, 13 years after the
toppling of the Taliban's regime launched America's longest war.
Camp
Leatherneck, in the strategic southern province of Helmand, is the largest U.S.
base to be handed over to Afghan control as the coalition ends its combat
mission. British forces transferred control of adjacent Camp Bastion at the
same time.
The
timing of the withdrawal of the troops was not released for security reasons.
http://www.worldbulletin.net/headlines/147072/us-and-british-forces-officially-end-afghan-operations
-----------
Europe
Serious
Fears Of 'Wahhabi' Threat behind Chechen Leader's 'CIA-Sponsored IS Devils'
Comments
Oct 26,
2014
The head
of the Chechen Republic, Ramzan Kadyrov, has spoken out against the Islamic
State (IS) group, saying that the extremist militants are "devils"
and were assisted by Western intelligence services. Kadyrov also accused IS leader
Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi of being a CIA operative, and called on the self-appointed
caliph to apologize for killing his fellow Muslims.
Speaking
in the Chechen capital, Grozny, on October 21, Kadyrov echoed Moscow's claims
that IS had been supported by the West. "I would ask that they not be
referred to as ‘Islamic State.' These are devils, whose aim is to make a lot of
money. They are carrying out Western orders and are deliberately murdering
Muslims," Kadyrov said.
However,
the Chechen leader went beyond Moscow's line that IS owed its existence to
Western policy, saying that the West had supplied IS with weapons. "Where
did these thugs get airplanes, or the means to arm tens of thousands of people?
Where does it all come from? Definitely they are being helped by people in high
positions," the Chechen leader added.
Kadyrov
said that IS leader Baghdadi, was "recruited by the CIA."
Full
report at:
http://www.rferl.org/content/under-black-flag-wahhabi-fears-behind-kadyrov-cia-sponsored-devils/26648551.html
---------
Lavrov:
Russia Has No Deal with US-Led Anti-ISIL Coalition on Intelligence Exchange
Oct 26,
2014
Russia
is ready to help fight extremism, but has never struck any deals with the
US-led coalition on exchange of intelligence concerning the Islamic State of
Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) terrorist group, Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey
Lavrov said in an interview with Sergey Brilyov of Rossiya 1 TV.
"There
is no agreement saying that we will exchange information in the framework of
activity by the US-created so-called coalition for fighting the Islamic State
(of Iraq and the Levant group). Likewise there’s no agreement on Russia sending
experts to train the Iraqi army," he said, RT reported.
Russia
is according to Lavrov directly supporting governments of Syria and Iraq in
their fight against the extremist organization.
http://english.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13930803001430
-----------
Appeal
against Salafists: Hooligans Want To “Defend Germany”
National
Turk English
Oct 26,
2014
For
years they fight with each other, now they have a common enemy: German
hooligans unite against Salafists. On Sunday they want to show in Cologne
thousands. The police are warned.
They
swear, they insult, they crosslink continues: On social media channels, in
internal chats, send a text message call football violence perpetrators on to
“finally to defend Germany”. Alone on Facebook garnered the group “hooligans
against Salafists” (HoGeSa) in the meantime more than 40,000 likes given. On
Sunday it will come in Cologne to a nationwide demonstration. The biggest of
its kind.
The
organizers pride themselves on “5700 applications”, the Cologne police
expectations are for “1000-1500 participants” as their spokesman Christoph
Gilles says. The latter may be more realistic, but even with such a number of
participants of the group would be the demonstration of power succeeded in its
planned since its inception: “All to Cologne” says the social network for
weeks, the biggest rally in Dortmund (350 participants) must be “dwarfed”.
Full report
at:
http://www.nationalturk.com/en/appeal-against-salafists-hooligans-want-to-defend-germany-breaking-news-55180
-----------
ISIS
threatens to kill British deserters
26 October 2014
Islamic
State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) leadership issued death threats to the British
fighters amongst their ranks who are reportedly desperate to return to the UK,
the Observer reported.
“There
are Britons who upon wanting to leave have been threatened with death, either
directly or indirectly,” a source with extensive contacts through different
Syrian rebel groups was quoted as saying.
At least
30 British militants fighting for ISIS want to return home, former Guantánamo
Bay detainee Moazzam Begg told the British newspaper, adding that they were
held in Syria and Iraq against their will.
These
reports follow the death of yet another young British Muslim, Muhammad Mehdi
Hassan, 19, who was reportedly killed in the battle to claim control over the
Syrian-Kurdish town of Kobane, the fourth man to die in Syria from the UK city
of Portsmouth.
Prosecution
of returning fighters
Over the
past few months, members of the British governments suggested that fighters
returning from Iraq and Syria be tried for treason.
Begg,
who offered to help negotiate the release of British ISIS hostage Alan Henning
but was refused by the British government, called that returning fighters be
pardoned, and instead of being prosecuted be put through rehabilitation centers
such as those in Denmark.
He also
described the predicament a fighter who has given up on ISIS ideology faces
once they attempt to return home.
Full
report at:
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2014/10/26/ISIS-threatens-to-kill-British-deserters.html
-----------
Muslim
pupils must study two religions under government plans to tackle
Oct 26,
2014
Muslim
pupils must study two religions under government plans to tackle extremism in
schools following the Trojan Horse plot.
Changes
to religious studies qualifications are expected to be set out by ministers
next week when the subject criteria for GCSEs is published.
Faith
schools are likely to see the biggest impact as they can currently choose to
teach their own religion and disregard others.
As well
as studying at least two religions, pupils will also be expected to debate moral
dilemmas in the context of religious beliefs in class.
The
modifications to lessons comes after the alleged Trojan Horse plot by hardline
Muslims to infiltrate schools in Birmingham.
It was
originally sparked by a leaked letter in March this year - now widely believed
to be a hoax - which alleged to be from Islamists in the city plotting to seize
control of a number of school governing bodies.
Full
report at:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2807468/Muslim-pupils-study-two-religions-government-plans-tackle-extremism-schools-Trojan-Horse-plot.html#ixzz3HEeNz3nN
--------
India
Financial
regulators to issue warning against IS links
Oct 26,
2014
Concerned
over an estimated $1 million a day funding received by Islamic State, the
Financial Action Task Force (FTAF) has asked all countries, including India, to
prevent the terror group from tapping their financial systems.
Financial
sector regulators in India, including Sebi for capital markets and RBI for
banking sector, are likely to soon issue similar warnings to caution
institutions operating under their respective jurisdictions to put in place
necessary safeguards.
Sanctions
are already in place by the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) against
entities linked to the Islamic State. However, it is for the first time that a
public statement has been issued against this terror group by FATF, an
inter-governmental grouping that sets global financial sector regulatory
standards to tackle money laundering and terror financing activities.
Full
report at:
http://www.thehindu.com/business/financial-regulators-to-issue-warning-against-is-links/article6534976.ece
------
Africa
Dignity
spokesman urges the tribal elders to turn in their Islamist fighters
Oct 26,
2014
The
Libyan National Army (LNA) has called on tribes and tribal elders to handover
those they know to be extremists or face the consequences if they do not.
The
message was delivered by Mohammed Al-Hejazi, the spokesman of Operation
Dignity, which has been fighting under the auspices of the LNA.
“You
must deliver your children who have participated in terrorist operations agains
Libyans and conducted murders and assassinations,” he said yesterday. Hejazi
explained that tribal leaders could then expect justice for their members. He
added that if they did not respond then the elders themselves could be held
accountable.
“A
special unit has been formed to enter the houses and bunkers using intelligence
provided to us” he said, adding that there was nowhere to hide.
Full
report at:
http://www.libyaherald.com/2014/10/25/dignity-spokesman-urges-the-tribal-elders-to-turn-in-their-islamist-fighters/#ixzz3HEoYrVfm
---------
Anti-terror
raid kills 6 as Tunisian voters prepare to go to the polls
Oct 26,
2014
Tunisians
voters are to head to poll stations on Sunday to vote in parliamentary
elections.
Voters
abroad began voting on Friday in six constituencies, each of which will be
represented by 18 MPs. The total number of MPs to be returned to the assembly
is 217.
In
downtown Tunis, political parties concluded their electoral campaigns late on
Friday, with Islamists Ennahda, led by Rachid Ghannouchi, holding a mass
conference.
The last
days of the campaign were marked by public concern about the violent arrest of
two "terrorist elements" by security forces on Thursday in Wadi
Al-Leil, near the capital.
A house
was stormed by police during the raid, who killed one suspected terrorist and
arrested another. Five women in the building were killed and two children
injured during the raid.
Full
report at:
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/2/8/113936/World/Region/Antiterror-raid-kills--as-Tunisian-voters-prepare-.aspx
-----------
Boko
Haram - Dozens Killed As Multi-National Forces Recapture Abadam
Oct 26,
2014
Dozens
of Boko Haram terrorists were killed between Friday night and Saturday morning
in Abadam town of Borno State after a fierce gun battle between troops of the
Multi National Joint Task Force (MNJTF) and the insurgents in a bid by the
military to reclaim the community that fell under the control of the insurgents
last week, witnesses and security sources said.
A top
security personnel informed Leadership Sunday that not less than two dozen
corpses of the insurgent littered the bushes around Abadam after soldiers of
the MNJTF had succeeded in rescuing Abadam town from the conquest of the Boko
Haram.
Full
report at:
http://allafrica.com/stories/201410260020.html
-----------
Morocco
says to bolster security in the face of ‘threats’
25
October 2014
Morocco,
which has frequently reported the arrest of extremists and is concerned over
the number of its citizens fighting in Syria and Iraq, announced Saturday plans
to bolster its security.
Interior
Minister Mohamed Hassad said new measures will be deployed progressively to
“confront the different threats facing the kingdom,” according to his office.
Hassad
did not identify those threats, but said the measures would cover “vulnerable”
locations across the North African country and involve the army, police and
other security forces.
Key
destination
In
mid-October authorities announced the arrest of a Moroccan man, with his two
young French daughters in tow, as he sought to join up with Islamic State of
Iraq and Syria (ISIS) group that has seized swathes of Syria and Iraq.
Full
report at:
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2014/10/26/Morocco-says-to-bolster-security-in-the-face-of-threats-.html
-----------
Fresh
violence breaks out in Libya’s Benghazi
25
October 2014
Libya’s
eastern city of Benghazi has witnessed a new wave of clashes between the Libyan
army and ultra-conservative militia group al-Ansar Sharia on Saturday, reported
Al Arabiya News Channel.
The
ongoing fight is taking place in the Ras Obeida district in the suburbs of
Benghazi, a day after Libyan forces has reclaimed the largest camps of Islamist
forces in the city.
The
latest clashes are feared to lead to worsen Benghazi’s death toll – already
standing at 110 since renegade general Khalifa Haftar launched on an assault
last week supported by the army against the Islamist fighters who seized the capital
Tripoli and other parts of Libya in July and set up their own government and
parliament.
Gen.
Haftar, who was once an army chief under Qaddafi before joining his opponents,
called upon Libyans to join his offensive against Islamist militants.
Libya
was immediately plunged into war after the 2011 revolution that toppled
longtime ruler Muammar Qaddafi. Interim governments since then have failed to
rebuild a national army and have been forced to rely on armed militias to stand
up to Islamist insurgency.
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2014/10/25/Violence-renewed-in-Libya-s-Benghazi-.html
-----------
Sudan's
Bashir backed by party to run in presidential polls
World
Bulletin/News Desk
Oct 26,
2014
Sudan's
ruling National Congress Party on Saturday selected incumbent President Omar
al-Bashir to be its candidate in Sudan's next presidential elections, which are
slated for April, a party source said.
The
source told Anadolu Agency that 90 percent of the party's 6,250 members had
backed al-Bashir's bid in the next presidential elections.
The
party's Shura Council, the highest organizational body, selected al-Bashir last
week to be the party's candidate in the presidential elections.
Party
members started in the morning on Saturday voting to select the party's
candidate in the next presidential elections under strict organizational
measures, according to the source.
He said
the result of the voting would be declared later on Saturday.
Sudan's
opposition had earlier said that it would boycott the presidential elections,
noting that it would also boycott the parliamentary elections and the elections
of the governors of Sudan's 18 states.
Full
report at:
http://www.worldbulletin.net/headlines/147060/sudans-bashir-backed-by-party-to-run-in-presidential-polls
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Mideast
Turkey's
MPs critize German recognition of Alevism
World
Bulletin/News Desk
Oct 26,
2014
Turkish
lawmakers criticized the German Federal State of Bremen which has legally
recognized Alevism as a 'religion' separate from Islam.
Alevism
is a Muslim sect. But the region of Bremen on Oct. 14 granted Alevism legal
religious rights, giving it the same status as other religions like Judaism and
Christianity.
In an
interview with Anadolu Agency (AA), the Chairman of the Turkish Parliamentary
Foreign Affairs Committee Ahmet Berat Conkar criticized the move, "This is
a malicious political initiative which aims to destroy the harmony between
Alevis and Sunnis in Turkey."
Conkar
said "Alevism cannot be separated from Islam; On the contary, Alevism is a
part of Islam." "No country or
federal state can make changes to Islam, whose norms are determined."
Full
report at:
http://www.worldbulletin.net/todays-news/147056/turkeys-mps-critize-german-recognition-of-alevism
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Iran
re-arrests leading human rights lawyer Nasrin Sotoudeh
Oct 26,
2014
Iranian
security forces arrested world-renowned human rights lawyer Nasrin Sotoudeh and
several others on their way back from a protest on Saturday, her husband said.
“While
returning from the sit-in outside the Bar Association in Tehran, Nasrin was
detained along with several friends and colleagues,” her husband, Reza Khandan,
said on his Facebook page.
“They
photographed and ran identity checks on all the detainees and then released
everyone but Nasrin, who is still detained wantonly and without a court order.”
Sotoudeh,
who has represented Iranian opposition activists, was sentenced to six years in
jail in 2010 and banned from practice after being convicted of spreading
propaganda and conspiring to harm state security.
Full
report at:
http://indianexpress.com/article/world/asia/iran-re-arrests-leading-human-rights-lawyer-nasrin-sotoudeh/#sthash.TgfCQvZl.dpuf
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Rafsanjani
Advises Saudi King to Stop Sheikh Al-Nimr Execution
Oct 26,
2014
Chairman
of Iran's Expediency Council (EC) Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani in a message warned
Saudi King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz against the repercussions of the death
sentence given to prominent Shiite cleric Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr.
"In
this period of time that conspiracies have targeted the lands of the Islamic
Ummah, stopping the sentence for Ayatollah Sheikh Nimr Baqer al-Nimr will
disappoint those who sow discord, will increase interactions and settle the
problems of the Muslim world," Hashemi Rafsanjani said in his message on
Saturday.
He
underlined the sensitive regional and international conditions of the Muslim
world, and said stopping Sheikh al-Nimr's death sentence will strengthen unity
among the Shiites and Sunnis.
Full
report at:
http://english.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13930803001351
-----------
Yemen
PM-designate offers Houthis 6 ministries
World
Bulletin/News Desk
Oct 26,
2014
Yemen's
prime minister-designate Khaled Bahah on Saturday declared the distribution of
ministerial portfolios in his expected new cabinet, saying he would give six of
these portfolios to his country's Shiite Houthis.
Bahah
added on his Facebook page that he would also offer southern separatists six
more portfolios in his expected 34-portfolio cabinet.
Bahah's
government would be formed in the light of a peace and partnership agreement
signed in Yemen more than a month ago.
On
Saturday, he said on his Facebook page that he would assign Houthis, who have
been controlling the Yemeni capital since September 21, the petroleum, electricity,
insurance, higher education, culture and justice portfolios.
Full
report at:
http://www.worldbulletin.net/headlines/147054/yemen-pm-designate-offers-houthis-6-ministries
-----------
Top
Israeli official: U.S.-Israel relations in ‘crisis’
Oct 26,
2014
A top
Israeli official admitted Saturday that a “crisis” exists in relations between
his country and the United States, the Associated Press reported.
Finance
Minister Yair Lapid’s comments came a day after U.S. officials said the Obama
administration refused Israeli Defense Minister Moshe Yaalon’s requests to meet
several top national security aides.
The
White House and the State Department rejected Yaalon’s request for an audience
with Vice President Joe Biden, National Security Adviser Susan Rice and
Secretary of State John Kerry on his five-day trip to the United States.
Members
of the Obama administration are still peeved by remarks Yaalon made about
Kerry's Middle East peace efforts and nuclear negotiations with Iran.
Lapid
said "there is a crisis with the United States" and added that the
relationship "must be managed respectfully and responsibly."
Full
report at:
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2014/10/26/Top-Israeli-official-U-S-Israel-relations-in-crisis-.html
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Three
soldiers killed in gunfire in southeastern Turkey
Oct 26,
2014
Three
Turkish soldiers have been shot dead in broad daylight in the Yüksekova
district of the southeastern province of Hakkari, Doğan News Agency has
reported.
The
three soldiers, who were not uniformed, were shot at around 4 p.m. on Oct. 25
on the district's central Cengiz Topel Street before succumbing to their
injuries in hospital, the agency said.
The
Gerenal Staff said in a written statement that the victims were one gendarmerie
specialist sergeant and two gendarmerie privates.
Police
have launched an operation to catch the two attackers, reports said.
Anadolu
Agency said the soldiers were in town to buy electrical equipment for the
military post at which they serve.
Battles
between the Turkish military and outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK)
militants eased starting in May last year, when a symbolic number of PKK
militants withdrew from Turkish soil as part of ongoing talks to resolve the
decades-old Kurdish problem.
The
Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP), which is focused on the Kurdish problem,
released a statement expressing its sadness at the soldiers' deaths, while also
calling on all the accelerate efforts on the peace process.
Full
report at:
http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/three-soldiers-killed-in-gunfire-in-southeastern-turkey.aspx?pageID=238&nID=73465&NewsCatID=509
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Turkey’s
leading imam involved in Istanbul grove row
Oct 26,
2014
Mehmet
Görmez, head of Turkey’s top religious body Directorate of Religious Affairs
(Diyanet), has been involved in a hot debate on the efforts to build a mosque
on a grove on Istanbul’s Anatolian side, saying that the love for prayer and
love for nature should not be compared.
“A
mosque will be built on an 800 square meter plot. You can see people who bid to
build a masjid [a small mosque] on one side, and other people protesting to
prevent the cutting of the trees there on the other side,” Görmez said, while
attending to a ceremony to mark the opening of a new forest area in the capital
city of Ankara.
“First
of all, this does not appropriate,” he said.
“The
love for prayer and the love for nature should not be compared,” the country’s
leading imam said, adding that people should not “express their angers using
such love.”
He wished
that the row would end soon.
The
construction of a mosque in Istanbul’s Validebağ grove proceeded on Oct. 23
despite a court’s stay of execution order amid growing outcry among local
activists, who have long denounced attempts to open one of Istanbul’s green
areas to construction.
Police
officers took huge security measures as locals also gathered nearby to pay
their reaction.
Full
report at:
http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/turkeys-leading-imam-involved-in-istanbul-grove-row.aspx?pageID=238&nID=73464&NewsCatID=339
---------
Southeast Asia
Malay Leaders
Cowards for Doing Nothing about ‘Hate Gang’ Using Islam
Oct 26,
2014
KUALA
LUMPUR, Oct 26 — Death threats against the organiser of a recent pet-a-dog
event is not a hallmark of a moderate Islamic country as touted by Prime
Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak yesterday, former minister Datuk Zaid Ibrahim
said on Twitter.
Instead,
the former law minister accused “all Malay political leaders” of being
“cowards” for doing nothing against a growing group that uses Islam as a means
of hate.
“Wasatiyah
is Arabic for moderate. So long as we use Arabic expression everything is fine
… U organize a dog show and u get death threats,” Zaid said in a series of
tweets on his account @zaidibrahim.
Yesterday,
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak attributed Malaysia’s rise as a modern
and progressive Islamic nation to the use of the ‘Wasatiyyah’ (moderation and
balance) approach as the basis of the national administration.
State
news agency Bernama reported Najib saying the approach rejected the elements of
obsession, fanaticism and extremism which caused the people to be rigid and
fail to appreciate anything done for the good of all.
Full
report at:
http://www.themalaymailonline.com/malaysia/article/malay-political-leaders-cowards-for-doing-nothing-about-hate-gang-using-isl#sthash.TC0zmexR.dpuf
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Death
threats, slander against pet-a-dog organiser is freedom of speech, says Muslim
group
Oct 26,
2014
KUALA
LUMPUR, Oct 26 — Defenders of the recent pet-a-dog event have no right to get
upset over death threats and slander from its critics if they also defend
freedom of speech, said a portal linked to Muslim group Pembela today.
The
group singled out Syahredzan Johan who represented organiser Syed Azmi
Alhabshi, saying the civil liberties lawyer had in the past supported the
National Unity Consultative Council’s (NUCC) Harmony Bills, which allegedly
does not criminalise hate speech unless it threatens physical harm.
“What we
find absurd was why Syahredzan, who all this while wanted to be a champion and
hero of freedom of speech such as in the laws he drafted, wanted to restrict
others’ freedom of speech to criticise the event?” said the portal called
Bangkit.
“Did
[the threats] want to harm the organisers and participants? Even if there were
comments with elements of threat, is it true they had an intent to threaten and
was the intent made clear by a team of lawyers?”
The
portal also said that Syahredzan was one of the lawyers who walked against the
Sedition Act 1948, suggesting that any replacement of the controversial law
must provide for mens rea, which in legal term means a “guilty mind” necessary
to commit a crime.
“Does
the freedom of speech belong only to Azmi Shahrom [sic] alone in the world?” it
asked, referring to the University of Malaya law lecturer Dr Azmi Sharom who
was charged with sedition last month, making him the first academic to be
caught in Putrajaya’s recent sedition dragnet.
Full
report at:
http://www.themalaymailonline.com/malaysia/article/death-threats-slander-against-pet-a-dog-organiser-is-freedom-of-speech-says#sthash.7hirz7mh.NnGK6DeX.dpuf
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‘Arabic
Month’ to be held in many Indonesian cities
Oct 26,
2014
King
Abdullah bin Abdulaziz International Center for Arabic Language Service
announced they are organizing more than 10 training courses on ‘One-Month
Arabic Language Program’ in a number of Indonesian cities.
The
program is being implemented by the centre in its second session within the
framework of its international programs which kicked off on Oct. 16 and will
end in November, 2014.
Dr.
Ahmad Fuad Effendy, a member of the Board of Trustees of King Abdullah bin
Abdulaziz International Center of Arabic Language, head of Arabic Teachers
Union in Indonesia and the national coordinator of the Arabic Month said that
various parties in Indonesia have welcomed the Arabic Month in Indonesia which was
initiated by King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz International Center for Arabic
Language.
He said
this move of the Saudi government reflects the excellent relationship between
the two countries and that it was a wonderful opportunity for Indonesians to
learn the Arabic language in their own country.
Effendy
further told Arab News that there are a number of Indonesian coordinators for
this program.
The
Arabic Month has various activities including writing a book about Arabic
teaching in Indonesia which involved ten authors from a number of universities
whose work was presented in the seminar held on Oct. 16 in Jakarta.
The
other three books were about Arabic scholarship/experts and Arabic teaching
institutes in Indonesia including a compilation of Arabic international seminar
articles in Indonesia.
Training
for teachers and lecturers is being held in five universities located in Java,
Sumatera and the islands of Nusa Tenggara by nine trainers from Imam Muhammad
Ibnu Sa’ud University, Riyadh.
Full
report at:
http://www.arabnews.com/saudi-arabia/news/650286
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URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/iraqi-security-forces-kurds-gain/d/99729